Review of jumps season 2006/7

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THE WINNING POST

 Review of the jumps season 2006/07
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well it’s that time of year again when I look back as the successes (mainly) and failures (let’s not dwell on them) of the jumpers featured on this site over the season.

  

Picking out the star of the show is not difficult – there can be only one, Kauto Star.  Paul Nicholls’ French bred gelding won all 6 of his starts, 4 Grade 1s and a couple of Grade 2s, culminating in success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.  His 6 wins came at 6 different tracks and over distances from 2 miles to 3 and a quarter.  You would think it would be hard to knock his form but he still had his detractors.  There were those who doubted his jumping ability after final fence blunders in both the King George and the AON Chase.  Neither error stopped him winning though, and although he gave his backers a scare when hitting the last at Cheltenham he still won the Gold Cup in style.

  

The magnificent 7

  My list to follow supplied 7 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, including Kauto Star. 

The first of the seven was My Way de Solzen in the Arkle.  Like Kauto Star, My Way de Solzen showed great versatility to win this over 2 miles having won the Stayers Hurdle the year before at the Festival.  He obviously likes Cheltenham, having won the Dipper Novices at the track over 2 miles 5 on New Years Day.  In all he won 4 times and jumped particularly well in all his races.

  

Kauto Star was fittingly the most prolific winner on my list with 6, but only one behind was his stable companion Denman.  Denman came to the Festival with 4 wins from 4 and Ruby Walsh made this horse his banker of the meeting.  He improved with every run and clearly has a massive engine.  Favourites have a poor record in the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase but Denman belied the stats to win by 10 lengths.

  

Winner number 3 came via Voy Por Ustedes who had been a bit of a forgotten horse in the lead up to the Champion Chase.  A lot of the tipsters went for the “title holder” New Mill or the rejuvenated Well Chief, but with the former not firing and the latter a faller Alan King’s horse came home a worthy winner.  Voy Por Ustedes had a light campaign only running 4 times.  He was runner up to Kauto Star in the Tingle Creek before posting a good time when justifying favouritism in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.  He looked badly off at the weights on his next run when giving 10 lbs to Well Chief at Newbury and in any event got no further that the 5^th where he unseated Choc Thornton.  Maybe that was a blessing in disguise as he came to the Festival fresh and duly prevailed at 5/1.

  

The Ryanair Chase attracted a smallish but quite select field with Monet’s Garden sent off a 7/4 favourite.  This was yet another triumph for Paul Nicholls though as his Taranis jumped the last well and held on up the run in from the strong finishing Our Vic and Billyvoddan. Taranis has a good wins to runs record and last season was successful in 3 of his 6 outings.  As well as the Ryanair he also won twice over hurdles including the big Totesport handicap at Sandown where he justified favouritism.

  

Paul Nicholls sprung a minor surprise in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase with Andreas who won at 12/1.  Andreas had been starting to look a weak finisher and had come 3^rd on each of his 4 previous starts.  He had been a faller in the race in 2006 but he made amends here relishing the good to firm surface.

  

The last of my “magnificent 7” was Cloudy Lane, trained by Donald McCain the son of the legendary Ginger.  A winner at Newcastle earlier in the season he had disappointed at Haydock in February which his trainer put down to the heavy ground.  Ridden by the accomplished Richard Burton, Cloudy Lane was a worthy winner of the Kim Muir at 15/2.

  

The fab five at Liverpool

  

The first of the 5 winners from our list at Aintree was Mighty Man in the John Smith’s Long Distance Hurdle.  He had won the race the previous season reversing the form with the Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle winner, on that occasion My Way de Solzen and he repeated the dose here putting Inglis Drever in his place. Clearly Mighty Man loves Aintree and has a 3 out of 3 record at the track whereas Inglis Drever is a Cheltenham specialist.  Mighty Man only went down by three parts of a length in the World Hurdle and had earlier won the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.  Sadly he suffered a serious injury at Punchestown that looks to have ended his career. 

  

A feature of the Aintree Festival was the number of horses that bounced back from a defeat at Cheltenham.  Tidal Bay only just failed to catch Massini’s Maguire in the Ballymore Properties Hurdle, going down by a neck, but he gained deserved compensation in the Mersey Novices Hurdle winning at 9/4.  An expensive purchase for Graham and Andrea Wylie Tidal Bay won 4 of his 6 starts over the season and showed himself to be an admirably tough and genuine hurdler.

  

Aces Four had been the only one to give Denman a race at Cheltenham and was unlucky to only finish 4^th in the end.  He was another to gain compensation at Aintree and was a comfortable winner of the Grade 2 Mildmay Novice Chase.  He was in front and heading for victory in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival when falling heavily at the last.  There were fears for his safety initially but thankfully he lives to fight another day.  He won 3 altogether with the other two wins coming at Newcastle.

  

Monet’s Garden came to Aintree with something to prove. After landing the odds in an intermediate chase he faded tamely in the King George on Boxing Day.  Connections reckoned that the horse was not suited by the overnight stay and the routine was changed for his next run, a Grade 1 at Ascot over 2 miles 3 which he won well.  The doubts returned after he could only finish 4^th in the Ryanair behind Taranis.  Monet’s Garden banished his disappointing efforts with a commanding performance in the Melling Chase comfortably reversing the form with Taranis.

  

I have followed the grey Reveillez since his days on the flat.  He figured in last season’s review of the jumps after landing a gamble at the Cheltenham festival and he has earned his place in this season’s story with a win at Aintree. He came to Liverpool without a win in his last 3 runs but his most recent effort, 6^th in the Racing Post Plate, gave followers some cause for optimism. He lined up in the valuable Betfair handicap chase over 3 miles and a furlong and ran out a 7 lengths winner under Tony McCoy.  Connections then sent him to Sandown 2 weeks later for the Betfred Gold Cup where he got in without a penalty for his Aintree success.  There were some doubts about his stamina for the Sandown race and he was given a patient ride by McCoy.  He finished 2^nd to Hot Weld despite losing a shoe on the way round.

  

Four big race winners

  

I put State of Play on my list to follow after he had impressed me winning at Aintree the previous season.  State of Play is trained by Evan Williams who trains near Cardiff and is very much on an upward curve.  State of Play won the 50^th running of the prestigious Hennessey Gold Cup at Newbury in a race run in testing conditions.  Only half the field of 16 actually completed in the testing conditions and those that did get home were well strung out. After Newbury, where he won at 10/1 State of Play was saved for the Cheltenham Gold Cup were he ran with credit in 6^th place, he then went on to run at Aintree where he was not at his best.  In fairness though, in the latter part of the season the stable were not enjoying the best of runs.

  

Halcon Generlardais had shown enough to suggest he could be a useful staying chaser in soft ground with 3 wins in 2005/6.  He started the new season by winning a handicap hurdle at Haydock finding extra close home for Choc Thornton when he had looked beaten by Irish Wolf.  He was entitled to win this as he was running off a favourable mark compared to his chase rating but it was a good performance nonetheless, with the likes of Korelo, Royal Emperor, Tees Components and United back in the field.

  

The main target was the Welsh National at Chepstow in December.  The testing conditionings were to his advantage and he put in a high class performance jumping to the front at the third last where he quickly skipped a couple of lengths clear and it was then a case of would his jumping see him home, and a fantastic leap at the final fence saw that he wasn't for catching.

  

His next engagement was the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.  Although this was run in heavy ground Alan King’s gelding seemed to find things happening a bit too quick for him and could only finish 3^rd of 9.  He returned to Prestbury Park for the Gold Cup wearing first time blinkers but was pulled up.  The drying ground would not have been ideal for him.

  

Neptune Collonges started his campaign at Wetherby where he was made 2/1 favourite for the Charlie Hall Chase.  As a 5 year old having his first run over fences in the UK that price looked a bit skinny and on the day he was no match for the enigmatic Our Vic who had one of his going days.  Nonetheless Neptune Collonges was not disgraced in 2^nd spot and he was soon to gain compensation. He stays well and acts with give in the ground and the 3 miles in good to soft at Newcastle for the listed Rehearsal Chase suited him well.  Ridden by the useful 3 lbs claimer Liam Heard he was a winner at 100/30.

  

Back over the smaller obstacles he was down the field in the Long Walk Hurdle behind Mighty Man and fell at the second last in the Cotswold Chase in January.  This was probably a career best run as he was alongside the front two at the time and although he probably wouldn’t have beaten the winner Exotic Dancer he may well have finished 2^nd. Back at Cheltenham for the Gold Cup in March he ran a satisfactory race in 8^th.

  

He was to end the season with a flourish though when sent to Punchestown for the Guiness Gold Cup over 3 miles and a furlong. There were doubts about his ability to act on the ground as his earlier form, including wins in France before he came to Paul Nicholls yard had been on soft ground. Given a positive ride by Ruby Walsh, he stalked the leader before taking the initiative after five out. Walsh was clearly intent on drawing the sting from his pursuers, and he lasted home in determined fashion under a strong drive.  Kingscliffe ran one of his best races for sometime with a gutsy effort in second place.

  

Another chaser whose best form was reserves for races across the Irish Sea was The Listener, a stable companion of Kingscliffe.   He began his season in the Future Stars Chase at Sandown on December 1^st where he gave Star de Mohaison a fright before going down by a length and three quarters.  In fact some thought that he would have been even closer had Andrew Thornton not accepted defeat a little too easily on him.

  

His next race was the valuable Lexus Chase run just after Christmas at Leopardstown.  In heavy ground he made all and galloped his rivals into the ground beating Beef or Salmon by 8 lengths.

  

The first and second lined up against each other again back at Leopardstown for the Irish Hennessey, which turned out to be one of the most remarkable races run all season.  For most the race it could have been the Lexux all over again.  The Listener, again jumping superbly, opened up what looked an unassailable lead and we seemed to be in for the same outcome. Darryl Jacob was cruising on the leader while Beef or Salmon was struggling in the distance, a remote second.  Although Beef or Salmon made up a little ground it wasn’t until after the last the The Listener began to run out of petrol and Andrew Macnamara found new reserves of strength ftom the gallant Beef or Salmon who managed a real turn of foot to grab the spoils close home for a famous and hugely popular success.  This was Beef or Salmon’s third win of the season, having beaten War of Attrition in a thrilling finish at Down Royal and he also won over hurdles at Fairyhouse.  The Listener and Beef or Salmon both ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but could only finish 11^th and 13^th respectively.

   

On the dark side

  

Blue Splash was one of the “darker” horses on my list to follow so I was particularly pleased that he paid his way, winning 3 of his 6 starts and finishing runner up twice. He began his campaign with an easy pillar to post win in a handicap hurdle at Aintree and went on to win novice chases at Exeter and Newcastle, making all on the second occasion.  His wins came at 5/2, 4/1, 10/11.

  

I mentioned Blue Splash as being one of the dark horses on the list.  Another very much on the dark side who paid his way was Caribou.  Oliver Sherwood’s novice chaser was admirably consistent ending the season with form figures of 322411. His wins came at odds of 5/2 and 11/1, the latter coming at Perth over 3 miles.

  

The Pipe trained Madison Du Berlais proved a successful horse to follow with wins at 11/10, 11/4, 12/1.  I was pleased to have included him as he did not appear on any of the lists compiled by the “real experts.” He failed to win from his first 3 starts and had begun to look in the grip of the handicapper.  He had slipped 7 lbs in the ratings when landing his first win of the season in a handicap chase at Warwick in heavy ground and although raised 9 lbs for that success managed to follow up at Southwell.

  

He was not disgraced in his next 2 starts and he then landed a valuable handicap at Cheltenham when stepped up to 2.5 miles.  Despite being 2nd top weight off 11 stone 5 Tom Scudamore got a great run out of him to score by a neck at 12/1.  He put up creditable efforts in graded handicaps at Cheltenham on his 2 starts since.

  

Other multiple winners

  

The emphasis is heavily on chasers at Henrietta Knight’s yard and Aztec Warrior was expected to make an impact over fences after having won over hurdles at Sandown the previous season.  In the event he won 3 novice chases, at Folkestone, Wincanton and Fontwell.  A big strapping individual he should make up into a decent staying chaser next season.

  

Blue Splash’s full brother Ungaro was another to win 3 and make a profit for the season, his wins coming at odds of 11/8, 15/8, 14/1.  Ungaro, trained by Keith Reveley ran up a hat trick of wins in his first 3 outings of the season, including the Grade 1 Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton.  He was beaten in top company on his last 2 starts but ran creditably in 6^th behind Denman at the Cheltenham Festival.

  

Not surprisingly Paul Nicholls horses feature regularly in this review and 3 qualify for this section as they won 3 races each.

  

Natal’s best performance was when winning the Pendil Novices Chase at Kempton in February when getting the better of stable companion, and another of our “listers” Good Spirit, by 3 lengths.  He was supplemented for the World Hurdle but never got in a blow.

  

New Little Bric’s biggest win was in the Scilly Isles novice chase at Sandown where he beat Aztec Warrior by 8 lengths.  His full brother Little Brick trained by David Pipe, had also looked an exciting chasing prospect but sadly had to be put down after breaking a shoulder in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham.

  

Another Paul Nicholls runner, Gungadu more than earned his place on my list with 3 wins from 5 starts, albeit at very cramped odds.  His best performance was when winning the Reynoldstown Novices Chase at Ascot in February.  He then headed for Cheltenham and was made favourite for the National Hunt Chase but found the 4 miles 1 furlong too much of a stamina test and suffered a tired fall 2 out.

 Jonjo O’Neill’s Don’t Push It won 3 novice chases, the best being the middle win when accounting for another from our list, Mr Pointment, in a thrilling finish.  He probably ran his best race in defeat when giving Denman a real battle at Cheltenham in December.  Back at Presbury Park for the Arkle he went off at 4/1. Many thought that the usual hold, up tactics that Tony McCoy employs with him would be suited in a race with a number of front runners. The theory may have paid off but unfortunately Don’t Push was a faller 2 out when travelling strongly.  

Detroit City qualifies for a mention here with 3 wins that came at 6/5, 4/6, 1/3.  He certainly came into the jumps season on a high having landed the Cesarawitch on the flat under Jamie Spencer. He then bolted up under a big weight in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham before beating Hardy Eustace back at Cheltenham in December.  This latter race was run at a dawdle until they turned for home and was perhaps not a reliable trial for the Champion Hurdle.  In his final prep race for the big one at Cheltenham he held off the challenge of Straw Bear to win the Agfa Hurdle in workmanlike style despite ploughing through the last.  

  

Detroit City was many people’s fancy for the Champion Hurdle despite the damning statistic that the last 71 5 year olds to had tried and had all failed. He was sent off 6/4 favourite but never went a yard and was a desperately disappointing 6^th. He then went to Aintree for the 2.5 mile Grade 1 Hurdle there but was last of the 10 finishers.  These last 2 runs have left the big grey under something of a cloud and we will have to wait and see what next season brings for him.

  

Detroit City had of course won the 2006 Triumph Hurdle.  In the 2005 running of that race Cerium had finished 4^th to Penzance. He has always looked like being better still over fences and he gave my list to follow an early success when winning a limited handicap on soft ground at Ascot in mid November at 12/1. Although he couldn’t reproduce that form in two subsequent runs he made a nice profit to level stakes over the season.

  

The long and the short of it

  

The biggest priced winner from our list to follow was also the shortest.  Jonjo O’Neill’s Grecian Groom went off an 8/1 on favourite in a 5 runner bumper at Huntingdon in early October and struggled to land the odds under Tony McCoy.  He showed little in his next 3 runs and was unfancied in a novice hurdle at Lingfield in December but won nicely with Noel Fehily on board at 33/1.  These proved to be his only wins from 8 starts during the season but that success at Lingfield made him one of the most profitable horses to follow from my list.  Incidentally Grecian Groom is flat bred and his dam is a half sister to high class flat performer Gamut.

  

6 of the best

  

Briareus, Star de Mohaison, Rubberdubber, Hard Act to Follow, Ringaroses and Roman Ark where 6 horses that helped to get my season off to a good start.

  

In the 05/06 season Andrew Balding’s Briareus had landed the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and gone on to run 6^th in the Champion Hurdle behind Brave Inca. There was plenty of cause for optimism  when he embarked on his chasing career at Newbury and he was sent off an odds on favourite.  On the day he had to give best to another horse from our list, Killaghey Castle but he jumped soundly and looked likely to come on for the race.  Surely enough this strapping individual got off the mark over fences at the second attempt landing a Grade 2 event at Ascot in mid December at odds of 7/2.  Unfortunately injury prevented him from running again but he remains an interesting prospect for next term.  The same could be said of Star de Mohaison.  After a novice chase campaign when he won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals he was expected to figure prominently again but his season was also cut short by injury.  He did win both his starts though; a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham was followed by a success in the Future Stars Chase at Sandown.

  

Rubberdubber, trained by Charlie Egerton had won 2 of his 3 completed starts over fences going into the new season and ran out a 5/2 winner on his only start in 2006/7.  Ridden by Tony McCoy he ran on well up the Cheltenham hill to account for the evergreen Armaturk.  Rubberdubber did not reappear after that so presumably had injury problems.

  

Another that only ran once was Howard Johnson’s Hard Act to Follow who strolled home in impressive fashion in a beginners chase at Wetherby, beating King of Confusion.

  Roman Ark is a horse whose career I have tracked for a while.  He had finished 4^th in the 2006 Racing Post Plate won by Non So but is best when the mud is flying.  He won twice from 7 starts in 06/07, in handicap chases at Market Rasen and Haydock at 4/1 and 7/4.  A hike in the weights meant he was unable to win again but he did still put up a respectable display when 4^th of 10 in a fiercely competitive handicap at Cheltenham.  Of his 7 career wins 5 have come in heavy going and the other 2 on soft.  He also has a very good record at Haydock.  His form figures there, if we exclude one run when he was brought down, read 21131.  

As is often the case with Henrietta Knight’s horses, Ringaroses was not over raced.  He won 2 bumpers and was 6^th in the Aintree championship bumper in 05/06 and made a promising start to jumping career winning both his starts in novice hurdles last season.  On the second of these he came from first to last in a fair race at Ascot in mid December.  Described as a “quirky customer” by his trainer he did not race in the second half of the season.

  

Racing Demon promised to be Henrietta Knight’s stable star but things didn’t always go according to plan.  He fell at the first ditch on his reappearance in the Haldon Chase at Exeter, won by his stable companion Impek. He did bounce back to win the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon from Thisthatandtother, a race that Knight has milked over the years. He failed to win again but ran well on occasions, notably when 3^rd to Kauto Star in the King George at Christmas.

  

Henry Daly does well with his chasers and Alderburn enjoyed a light but successful campaign.  After being pulled up early on his seasonal reappearance he stayed on well to win a handicap at Kempton in late December He followed up in March with a decisive win at Newbury ridden by AP McCoy.

    

Two trainers

  

Nicky Henderson’s Afsoun was expected to go novice chasing but his career over the larger obstacles was put on hold when he put up a smart effort in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle under top weight at Newbury.  He then fell when going OK in the Stan James Christmas Hurdle before returning to winning ways in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock in heavy ground in January.  Afsoun’s Champion Hurdle credentials  were severely dented in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton when Straw Bear beat him easily.  He did take his place in the field for the big race at Cheltenham and acquitted himself really well finishing 3^rd ahead of some of the major contenders.  The fast gallop and stiff uphill finish clearly suited him.  His final run was in the 2.5 mile Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle when he finished 3^rd.

  

The same trainer had some interesting novice hurdlers.  Classic Fiddle, Karello Bay and Sir Jimmy Shand all registered a couple of wins.

 

Karello Bay’s wins included the EBF mare’s only novice hurdle final at Haydock at 6/1 where she beat Robert Alner’s Miss Mitch.  She clearly likes good ground and looks the type to jump a fence.

 

Another mare to enjoy a profitable campaign was Annie’s Answer. Trained by permit holder Jane Makin and a former bumper and points winner, Annie’s Answer started the season with a 4^th at Newcastle on her hurdles debut. Wins at Huntingdon and Bangor followed but she then faded after making much of the running in a listed mare’s handicap at Cheltenham in April.  With her two wins from 4 starts coming at odds of 11/4 and 7/1 she was a profitable member of my list to follow.

 

Nicky Richard’s string seems to increase in strength each year and he looked to have a strong hand again.  Stable Star Monet’s Garden has already been mentioned but there were others that contributed as well.

 

Double Default was an expensive purchase after winning a point to point at Tallow where the form worked out well.  Considered a long term chasing prospect, Double Default ended the season with form figures over hurdles of 2211.  He only won small races at Ayr and Hexham but remains an interesting recruit for Richards and a campaign in novice chases beckons.

 

According to John had won all 4 of his races over hurdles the previous season he began his campaign over fences with wins at Carlisle and Kelso but found things a bit too hot went sent south and finished 4^th in good company at Kempton and Ascot behind Ungaro and Gungadu.  He returned to form on his last run when finishing 3^rd to Denman in the Royal and SunAlliance at the Festival at 66/1. 

 Like Double Default and According to John, Great Approach is owned by Sir Robert Ogden.  Great Approach is a half brother to Harwell Lad, a winner of the Whitbread.  After being pulled up on his first run he landed a handicap hurdle at Catterick over an extended 25 furlongs at 8/1.  He went up in the weights after that which was bound to make life difficult for him but he still managed to finish runner up in his remaining two races.

 

Like Great Approach, One Sniff also showed a profit for the season. He justified inclusion in the list by battling on to beat subsequent winner The Reverend at Hexham but injury prevented him from running again.

 

Ever Present won two of his 3 starts at odds of 3/1 and 15/8.  On the second occasion he made all gamely in very testing conditions and just lasted out to beat Rambling Minster by a length.

 

Much was expected of another of Nicky Richard’s stable stars, Turpin Green.  He had shown signs of temperament the previous season when all but refusing at the last with the race in the bag at Sandown. After winning at Carlisle at the start of the season he again showed his darker side when running a sulky race and being pulled up in the Hennessey.  He ran much better on his next start when 2^nd in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in very testing ground.

 

Blinkered first time for the Cheltenham Gold Cup he was largely unfancied at 40/1 but showed what a talented individual he is when in the right frame of mind with an excellent effort in 3^rd.

 

Surprise packages

 

I have grouped together 4 horses that all surprised me slightly when they won.  Ashley Brook has figured in these reviews before and I retained him on my list to follow for another season.  He made a belated reappearance after being sidelined through injury in a handicap hurdle at the end of January.  Adopting his usual front running style he went clear and the rest of the field really never saw which way he went.  Another runner from my list to follow, French Saulaie finished 2^nd but a full 20 lengths adrift.  Ashley Brook was running off a mark of 39 lbs lower than his chase rating but nonetheless this was an impressive display after a 420 day lay off. He was returned at 15/2.  A fortnight later he was made favourite for the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury but couldn’t cope with another horse returning from an enforced absence, Well Chief.  Ashley Brook may have “bounced” or perhaps the race came too soon after his hurdles win.  On his best form of course Well Chief was quite entitled to win a race like this anyway.  Supporters of both Well Chief and Ashley Brook must have gone into the Queen Mother Champion Chase with some optimism but it just wasn’t to be for either of them.  Well Chief crashed out early while Ashley Brook fell at the last while in contention.

 

Runner up in the Champion Chase was Dempsey who is a useful chaser when his jumping holds up and he enjoyed an excellent season winning a handicap at Sandown off top weight at 8/1 and rounding off his season by outclassing his rivals in the Celebration Chase back at the Esher course on the last day of the season.

 

Yes Sir was well down the field that day but had already proved himself quite a remarkable horse winning the Channel 4 prize for the most wins in the season.  He notched up 7 wins on the bounce during the summer months but summer form does not always translate itself into success in the better races during the winter.  It looked like being the case with Yes Sir as he ran reasonably well on his first 4 starts but never finished higher than 4^th.   Towards the end of April at Ayr he ran on his favoured fast ground for the first time and made every yard to score at 5/1 in a decent Grade 2 novices chase beating Natal.

 

Beau Michel is not one of the leading lights in the Paul Nicholls yard but he paid his way for me, albeit in a slightly fortuitous manner.  He won twice from 5 starts.  The first of these was a novice hurdle at Exeter at the end of October and the second a Wincanton handicap hurdle in mid February at the rewarding odds of 8/1.  You could say he was fortunate here because he looked destined for second when Golden Bay fell at the penultimate flight.  The race still needed winning though and Beau Michel stayed on stoutly to land the spoils.  He ran around a bit up the run in and wore first time blinkers on his next and final start where he was a creditable 2^nd in a handicap at Cheltenham.

 

Bumper winners

 

A few of the horses on my list to follow contested bumpers.  Sir Boreus Hawk, trained by Alan Swinbank won a Musselburgh bumper before winning easily at Catterick on his hurdles debut.  He looks a nice prospect, as does Aux le Bahnn who won a bumper on the all weather at Lingfield on his only start.  Ferdy Murphy’s Supreme Builder got stuck in the mud at Newcastle but went on to land a bumper at Hexham and looks a chasing sort.  Sound Accord is a half brother to Wild Cane Ridge.  He won a Huntingdon bumper and was not disgraced on his hurdles bow when 2^nd at Ascot.

 

Granit Jack came to the UK with a bit of a reputation to live up to as he had won 4 times in his native France.  He took a while to acclimatise and his only win came at 1/5 in a little race at Taunton.  There may well be more to come next season however based on his 2^nd in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.  He had suffered from stomach ulcers earlier in the season and now he is back to full health should be one to watch out for in 2007/08.

 

The Irish angle

 

I did not have too much luck with the Irish contingent on my list to follow.  There were a few successes though.

 

Iktitaf rattled off 3 wins in the first half of the season culminating in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November but then went off the boil. He was though in the process of running a big race when falling in the Champion Hurdle.

 

Amstecos is trained in Northern Ireland and justified his inclusion in my list by winning both his races. He won a maiden at Fairyhouse before just getting the better of another of my “listers” Ossmoses, by a neck in a driving finish at Ayr.

 

Nickname won a remarkable 6 out of his 7 starts, all in his native Ireland, all in graded races and all in soft or heavy ground.  The biggest win was the Paddy Power Chase at Punchestown at Christmas.  Connections decided against running him in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham as the drying ground would have been against him.  He had a brilliant campaign in his Ireland though, carrying all before him.

 

De Valira, a half brother to the high class but ill fated Valiramix won 3 times at odds of 5/1, 3/1, 3/1.  He didn’t quite live up top expectations but still managed to win a couple of Grade 2 races.  He was 10^th in the Supreme Novices at the Cheltenham Festival.

  

The one that got away!

  

I had had Exotic Dancer on my list to follow for the past 2 years but decided to leave him off this time round, for reasons that I can’t remember but must have seemed sensible at the time.  In his first race of the season he was beaten 28 lengths by Turpin Green at Carlisle but he was never out of the first two for the rest of the season and proved himself to be the second best chaser in the country.

  

His only 2 defeats came at the hands of Kauto Star in the King George and the Gold Cup but there was clearly no disgrace in that.  He won the two big 20 furlong handicaps at Cheltenham either side of Christmas and went on to prove both his stamina and his liking for Cheltenham by winning the Cotswold Chase.  He finished his season by winning the Betfair Bowl at Aintree.

  

Champion tipster?

  

I make no claims to be much of a tipster – just a racing enthusiast that tries to pick the odd winner.  Still, it is nice to get in right sometimes and on the 10^th of February my pin struck the right horse in the list of runners.  Gary Moore has developed a reputation as a trainer to follow in the big handicap hurdles.  His stables are opposite the 6 furlong pole at Brighton racecourse. His 5 year old gelding Heathcote caught my eye at the end of January when running a decent second at Sandown when ridden by a 5 lbs conditional rider.  He made no show on his next outing at Cheltenham but that was the race where Ashley Brook, returning from injury, just ran away from the rest of the field.

  

And so to the Totesport Trophy at Newbury, when my preview the night before included the following.

  “If you want a big outsider you could try Heathcote.  He is trained by Gary Moore who is a bit of a specialist in handicap hurdles.  He won on the 13 February last season if you subscribe to that sort of theory.”

He won at 50/1.

  

Staying with the Elite

  

Membership of the Elite Racing Club continued to give me plenty of fun as their national hunt string performed consistently throughout the winter. 

  

Monolith got things off to a good start by winning a valuable handicap hur5d;le at Cheltenham in October at 20/1.  AS usual he was waited with and produced late by Jockey Keith Mercer.  Monty as he is nicknamed is an ideal club horse as he alternates between jumps and flat and has actually won on the flat since his success at Cheltenham.

  

Rehearsal is another tough, consistent and versatile horse with Lenny Lungo. Already a winner on the flat and over hurdles he completed the full set when winning a novice chase at Ludlow at the end of January.

  

One of the easiest club winners of the season was the ex French mare Trompette, trained by Nicky Henderson.  She won a handicap hurdle at Ludlow with any amount in ahnd in January and was then aimed at a valuable mares only race at Southwell.  Unfortunately she fell two out when travelling strongly. 

  

Inherent was a bumper winner when trained by Clive Cox.  She moved to Henry Daly’s yard last season and ran consistently well over hurdles ending with form figures of 2112.

  

Penzance had been difficult to win with since taking the 2005 Triumph Hurdle.  Not quite able to match the very best over hurdles he didn’t look exactly a natural over fences, his only success in that sphere having come in a little race at Hereford.  Back over hurdles at the end of the season at Sandown though, he was involved in one of the most exciting finishes of the season.  Blinkered first time and enterprisingly ridden by Robert Thornton established a clear lead. Only Arcalis looked capable of getting to Penzance turning in but when he drew alongsides Penzance fought back and the pair flashed past the post together and could not be separated by the photo.

  

So there we are – another season goes by.  There is much to look forward to next term with the likes of Kauto Star, War of Attrition, Star de Mohaison, Denman and My Way de Solzen competing for the big prizes.